Automatically opening tubular watchcase



June 16, 1936. H SCHLACHT 2,044,228

AUTOMATICALLY OPEN'I'NG TUBULAR WATCHCASE I Filed June 15, 1935 V AFIG..1.

n 18 I s I 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES AUTOMATICALLY OPENING TUBULARWATCHCASE Herman Schlacht, Woodhaven, N. Y.

Application June 15, 1935, Serial No. 26,737

7 Claims.

My invention relates to the class of watch cases described in mycopending application Serial No. 721,418. As described therein, in orderto expose the face of the movement both hands are required.

My present invention has for its principal object to provide a tubularconstruction for the case which will possess all the advantages of thattype of construction but which will be provided with automaticallyoperating means whereby axial pressure exerted on the ends of the casewill cause the face of the movement to be exposed.

A further object is to provide anti-friction bearings for the actuatingmechanism so that the required pressure will be minimized to the fullestextent.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyunderstood by having reference to the accompanying drawing, which ishereunto annexed and is a part of this specification, in which- Fig. 1is an enlarged sectional view of a tubular watch case embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the case closed;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the case opened; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the face of the movement.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entiredescription.

As shown in the drawing, the case is formed of a tubular portion I whichhas one side cut away. A cap 2 is slidably but non-rotatably mounted onone end of the tubular portion. The cap 2 is held against rotation bymeans of a screw 21 which is fitted to a slot 28 formed in the tubularportion l adjacent one end. A disc 3 is fixedly secured in the tubularportion I. This disc 3 has a central opening in which is fixedly mounteda pin 4. Threads 5 are formed on the exterior of the pin 4, the purposeof which will be hereinafter explained. One end 6 of the pin 4 ismounted in a sleeve 20 having a socket therein. The other end I of thepin 4 is located in a socket formed in a plate 8 which is fixedlysecured to one end 9 of a rotatable cylinder III which is located insideof the tubular portion l and has the movement II mounted therein, aportion of the rotatable cylinder being cut-away to expose the face ofsaid movement. This end I of the pin 4 furnishes a bearing for the upperend of the cylinder ID, to hold same on its center.

The other end [2 of the movement containing cylinder to has a plate I3fixedly secured thereto. This plate 13 has a central stud l4 extendingoutwardly therefrom. The stud is fitted to and rotates in a socket 15formed in a central hub formed on the inside of a cap I! which closesthe end iii of the tubular portion I. This construction serves to holdthe other end of the movement containing portion on center. The cap I!is fixedly secured to the tubular portion l by means of a screw 19 or inany desired manner. The pin 4, as pointed out, is mounted inside of acylindrical sleeve or socket member 20 which is secured in the center onthe inside of the cap 2. 0n opposite sides of this sleeve 20 are formedrecesses in which are mounted anti-friction members. As shown in thedrawing ball bearings 2| are employed for this purpose. Theseanti-friction members 2| are located intermediate the pin 4 and thesleeve 20. take the place of an internal thread and greatly decrease theeffort required to bring about the rotation of the movement containingtube l0. An arm 22 extends outwardly from the sleeve 20 and passesthrough an arcuate slot 23, formed in the disc 3, and into a socketformed in the plate 8. This socket should be close to the periphery ofthe plate 8 as to increase the leverage of the sleeve 20 andcorrespondingly decrease the effort required to rotate the cylinder I0.

A coil spring 24 is mounted between the sleeve 20 and the disc 3 andserves to hold the parts normally in the position shown in Fig. 1. Itmay, in some cases, be found desirable to place a small cylindricalbushing around the sleeve 20 between it and the coil spring, as clearlyseen in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The operation of the case is as follows: The user of the watch desiringto see the time exerts an axial pressure between the thum and finger,upon the caps 2 and I1 with the result that since they are non-rotatablethe sleeve 20, through the medium of the threads and balls as heretoforedescribed will be rotated. This movement obviously will swing the arm 22in the arcuate slot 23 and carry with it the movement containingcylinder IE1 at the same time compressing spring 24. Upon releasing thepressure the spring 24 will expand and thus restore the parts to theirnormal position as shown in Fig. 1. Since the slot 23 extends onlydegrees it follows that the cylinder Iii will only be rotated to theposition shown in Fig. 5. Notches 25 and 26 are cut out of the edges ofthe cut away portion of the tubular portion I and receive the windingstem which carries These balls the winding crown 21. It will be apparentfrom the foregoing that the case can be easily opened with one hand whendesired.

Having described my invention what I regard as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a sectional tubular case for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one end thereof, a cap fixedly secured to the otherend, a movement containing cylinder rotatably mounted in said tubularportion, said cylinder having a cut-away portion to expose the face ofthe movement, and mechanism in said slidable cap which engages saidmovement containing cylinder and said slidable cap to rotate saidcylinder on movement of said cap whereby pressure exerted axially of thecaps will rotate said rotatable cylinder.

2. In a sectional tubular case for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one end thereof, a cap fixedly secured to the otherend, a movement containing cylinder rotatably mounted in said tubularportion, there being a cut away portion in said cylinder to expose theface of the movement, means mounted on the inside of the slidable capwhich engage said rotatable cylinder said means being arranged to causerotation of said rotatable cylinder upon sliding movement of saidslidable cap whereby pressure exerted axially of the caps will rotatesaid rotatable cylinder, and automatically operating means to returnsaid rotatable cylinder to its normal position.

3. In a sectional tubular casing for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one. end thereof, there being a socket in said cap,a cap fixedly secured to the other end, a movement containing cylinderrotatably mounted in said tubular portion, said cylinder having acut-away portion to expose the face of the movement, a disc secured inone end of said tubular portion, there being an arcuate slot in saiddisc, a pin secured to said disc, a plate secured to one end of therotatable cylinder, one end of said pin being mounted in said plate, theother end thereof being adapted to enter the socket in the slidable cap,threads on said pin, a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said pin threads,balls mounted intermediate said pin and sleeve which engage the threadsin the pin, and an arm on the sleeve which extends through said slot insaid disc, said plate having an aperture into which said arm extendswhereby pressure exerted axially on the. caps will rotate said rotatablecylinder.

4. In a sectional tubular casing for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one end thereof, there being a socket in said cap, acap fixedly secured to the other end, a movement containing cylinderrotatably mounted in said tubular portion, said cylinder having acut-away portion to expose the face of the movement, a disc secured inone end of said tubular portion, there being an arcuate slot in saiddisc, a pin secured to said disc, a plate secured to one end of therotatable cylinder, one end of said pin being mounted in said plate, theother end thereof being adapted to enter the socket in the slidable cap,threads on said pin, a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said pin threads,balls mounted intermediate said pin and sleeve which engage, the threadsin the pin, and an arm on the sleeve which extends through said slot insaid disc, said plate having an aperture into which said arm extendswhereby pressure exerted axially on the capswill rotate said rotatablecylinder, and a spring to return said parts to their normal position.

5. In a sectional tubular casing for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one end thereof, there being a socket in said cap, acap fixedly secured to the other end, a movement containing cylinderrotatably mounted in said tubular portion, said cylinder having acut-away portion to expose the face of the movement, a disc secured inone end of said tubular portion, there being an arcuate slot in saiddisc, 2. pin secured to said disc, a plate secured to one end of therotatable cylinder, one end of said pin being mounted in said plate, theother end thereof being adapted to enter the socket in the slidable cap,threads on said pin, a cylindrical sleeve sursounding said pin threads,balls mounted intermediate said pin and sleeve which engage the threadsin the pin, an arm on the sleeve which extends through said slot in saiddisc, said plate having an aperture into which said arm extends wherebypressure exerted axially on the caps will rotate said rotatablecylinder, an inwardly extending hub on the fixed cap having a centralsocket therein, a plate at the other end of said rotatable cylinder, anda central pin thereon fitted to and rotatable in said socket.

6. In a sectional tubular casing for watches, a

tubular portion, a cap slidably secured to one end thereof, there beinga socket in said cap, a cap fixedly secured to the other end, a movementcontaining cylinder rotatably mounted in said tubular portion, saidcylinder having a cut-away portion to expose the face of the movement, adisc secured in one end of said tubular portion, there being an arcuateslot in said disc, a pin secured to said disc, a plate secured to oneend of the rotatable cylinder, one end of said pin being mounted in saidplate, the other end thereof being adapted to enter the socket in theslidable cap, threads on said pin, a cylindrical sleeve, means mountedtherein fitted to said pin threads, and an arm on the sleeve whichextends through said arcuate slot, said plate having an aperture intowhich said arm extends whereby pressure exerted axially on the caps willrotate said rotatable cylinder.

7. In a sectional tubular casing for watches, a tubular portion, a capslidably secured to one end thereof, there being a socket in said cap, acap fixedly secured to the other end, a movement containing cylinderrotatably mounted in said tubular portion, said cylinder having acut-away portion to expose the face of the. movement, a disc secured inone end of said tubular portion, there being an arcuate slot in saiddisc, a pin secured to said disc, a plate secured to one end of therotatable cylinder, one end of said pin being mounted in said plate, theother end thereof being adapted to enter the socket in the slidable cap,threads on said pin, a. cylindrical sleeve, means mounted therein fittedto said pin threads, an arm on the sleeve which extends through saidarcuate slot, said plate having an aperture into which said arm extendswhereby pressure exerted axially on the caps will rotate said rotatablecylinder, and a spring to return said rotatable cylinder to its normalposition.

HERMAN SCHLACHT.

